Sunday, 29 January 2017

Iraqi forces discover chemical agent in Mosul

Iraqi forces discover chemical agent in Mosul

Iraqi forces discovered a mustard chemical warfare agent in eastern
Mosul alongside a cache of Russian surface-to-surface missiles, an Iraqi
officer said on Saturday.
Iraqi and U.S. officials have
repeatedly warned of Islamic State (IS) group’s efforts to develop
chemical weapons. When Iraqi forces retook Mosul University earlier this
month, they found chemistry labs they believed had been converted into
makeshift chemical weapons labs.
Iraqi special forces Brig. Gen.
Haider Fadhil said French officials tested the Mosul chemical this week
and confirmed it was a mustard agent.
The number of casualties due
to IS chemical weapons is a small fraction compared to the hundreds of
civilians killed in car and suicide bombings carried out by the group.
Experts say that is largely due to the low grade of the weapons and the group’s lack of access to efficient delivery systems.
The
types of rockets found at the site suggest the IS was attempting to
weaponise the chemical agent, Brig. Gen. Fadhil said. — AP